Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Chat about Linux in general
Forum rules
Do not post support questions here. Before you post read the forum rules. Topics in this forum are automatically closed 6 months after creation.
User avatar
MurphCID
Level 15
Level 15
Posts: 5895
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 10:29 pm
Location: Near San Antonio, Texas

Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by MurphCID »

Fonts, Icons, why can't we make it better looking? Granted Apple and Microsoft have ridiculous budgets for that sort of thing, but with all the brilliant talent out there, why can't we make Linux look better? I love LIbre Office, but its icons are ugly compared to others. For some that is a big turn off, so what can we do?
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
User avatar
all41
Level 19
Level 19
Posts: 9498
Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2013 9:12 am
Location: Computer, Car, Cage

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by all41 »

Other libreoffice themes are available in the repositories.
Search libreoffice-style
Everything in life was difficult before it became easy.
gm10

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by gm10 »

MurphCID wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 2:46 pm so what can we do?
Easy, create your own theme if you can't find one you like.
whm1974
Level 4
Level 4
Posts: 241
Joined: Fri Jan 19, 2018 11:07 pm

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by whm1974 »

What considered to be good looking will vary among various users.
User avatar
JerryF
Level 16
Level 16
Posts: 6554
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 1:23 pm
Location: Rhode Island, USA

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by JerryF »

I find Linux quite good looking. With Libre Office, there are other themes to use. The icons are great, and there are many other fonts to install.
User avatar
MurphCID
Level 15
Level 15
Posts: 5895
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 10:29 pm
Location: Near San Antonio, Texas

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by MurphCID »

I guess I am spoiled by Mac and Windows fonts and icons.
User avatar
Snafu
Level 2
Level 2
Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2018 7:01 am
Location: Australia

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by Snafu »

With just a little searching I can find find endless options for icons, cursors, themes, anything. Beauty might be in the eye of the beholder but there are choices to suit every eye available
When all else fails follow the instructions
User avatar
JerryF
Level 16
Level 16
Posts: 6554
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 1:23 pm
Location: Rhode Island, USA

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by JerryF »

MurphCID wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 6:38 pm I guess I am spoiled by Mac and Windows fonts and icons.
I'm a longtime Windows user and find that if I didn't have to use it for a couple of things, including at my workplace, I wouldn't miss the icons and fonts.

As for Mac, never had one but I must say of what I've seen, the interface is very good looking.
linux-dummie
Level 3
Level 3
Posts: 186
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2012 4:10 pm

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by linux-dummie »

Regarding the title of this thread, I'm glad my wife didn't say that about me!! For 18 years I've worked for her like a solid Linux distro, and she's never distro-hopped, so looks aren't everything if all you need is a reliable workhorse. I just wish I could run some kernel updates on myself (without surgery). And I sure could use some more memory....
User avatar
jimallyn
Level 19
Level 19
Posts: 9075
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2014 7:34 pm
Location: Wenatchee, WA USA

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by jimallyn »

Linux looks fine to me. But even more important, it works fine. I mostly care about functionality. I don't care what the boot screen or login screen looks like, nor really, what's on the desktop. I know there are others who do care about those things though, and I see people talking about themes, icons, cursors, etc. on a fairly regular basis, so I know there's plenty of that stuff out there. You might look around a little more and see if you can find what you're after. And if you can't, maybe you could make your own themes and such and share them with the community? That would be awesome!
“If the government were coming for your TVs and cars, then you'd be upset. But, as it is, they're only coming for your sons.” - Daniel Berrigan
User avatar
lsemmens
Level 11
Level 11
Posts: 3936
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 9:07 pm
Location: Rural South Australia

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by lsemmens »

The only way I make linux "better" looking is change the desktop background. All the rest is just a necessary evil. I also try to keep the desktop as clean as I can with very few shortcuts.
Fully mint Household
Out of my mind - please leave a message
User avatar
MurphCID
Level 15
Level 15
Posts: 5895
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 10:29 pm
Location: Near San Antonio, Texas

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by MurphCID »

I am a font and Icon snob. I want pretty.
User avatar
Moem
Level 22
Level 22
Posts: 16226
Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2015 9:14 am
Location: The Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by Moem »

What does 'pretty' mean when you say it? Taste is a very personal thing.
Have you bothered looking at available themes and icon sets? I like the Paper icons, but you may not.
Image

If your issue is solved, kindly indicate that by editing the first post in the topic, and adding [SOLVED] to the title. Thanks!
chrisuk

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by chrisuk »

Unless you spend your time staring at the desktop, or staring at the File Manager, most of what you see is down to the program you're using. How Firefox looks is down to Mozilla not Linux. I know there are limitations due to the OS, but compare say, Firefox to Vivaldi - both do the same job but look very different... Vivaldi perhaps being the "prettier" of the two.

So if you don't like what you see, I guess you could ask; "Why don't some programs put more effort into their GUIs for Linux?". Although I must admit that a dark theme with ePapirus icons and a Noto Sans font is pretty enough for me (Not on Mint, on Mint I'd probably use Mint-Y dark theme and Mint X Icons).
User avatar
CaptainKirksChair
Level 4
Level 4
Posts: 457
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2017 9:29 pm

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by CaptainKirksChair »

MurphCID wrote: Sun Jul 15, 2018 11:13 am I am a font and Icon snob. I want pretty.
I know where you are coming from. I want my desktop to look nice. Mostly in case anyone else looks at it. I tweak it all the time. I install Cairo-Dock using the Alu them and Mac4Lin as a window theme.

Image

I use Cinnamon because it gives me lots of functionality. I've tried Mate, Xfce, and KDE but I like Cinnamon best.
User avatar
MurphCID
Level 15
Level 15
Posts: 5895
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 10:29 pm
Location: Near San Antonio, Texas

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by MurphCID »

Moem wrote: Sun Jul 15, 2018 11:23 am What does 'pretty' mean when you say it? Taste is a very personal thing.
Have you bothered looking at available themes and icon sets? I like the Paper icons, but you may not.
I have and none of them are as attractive as the Mac O/S or even Windows. But again, as you stated it is very subjective. I am quite the snob when it comes to how my desktop looks. I keep almost no icons on the desktop, I keep quite a bit in the taskbar but few on the desktop. I want others to look at the fonts and icons, and go; "Wow that is an attractive desktop", so they will be interested in using Mint.
User avatar
MurphCID
Level 15
Level 15
Posts: 5895
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 10:29 pm
Location: Near San Antonio, Texas

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by MurphCID »

CaptainKirksChair wrote: Sun Jul 15, 2018 3:00 pm
MurphCID wrote: Sun Jul 15, 2018 11:13 am I am a font and Icon snob. I want pretty.
I know where you are coming from. I want my desktop to look nice. Mostly in case anyone else looks at it. I tweak it all the time. I install Cairo-Dock using the Alu them and Mac4Lin as a window theme.

Image

I use Cinnamon because it gives me lots of functionality. I've tried Mate, Xfce, and KDE but I like Cinnamon best.
I like Cinnamon as well over the other two. I am not found of KDE or Gnome at all. I also tweak the desktop so it looks better.
ajgreeny
Level 7
Level 7
Posts: 1640
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2007 3:27 pm

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by ajgreeny »

Depending on what you mean by your fonts looking bad, have you checked the font-rendering settings?
I have no idea where they are in Cinnamon, but look around and you may find you can make a big change to the way fonts look.

If it is just more fonts you want, have a look at http://www.fonts101.com/ and http://www.dafont.com/ where you will find a huge number of possibilities.
User avatar
AZgl1800
Level 20
Level 20
Posts: 11146
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2015 3:20 am
Location: Oklahoma where the wind comes Sweeping down the Plains
Contact:

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by AZgl1800 »

Personally,

it don't matter what OS is under the hood, they all look alike to me.

I make the background totally solid black.... never anything else.

I hate those dock thingys down on the bottom, I want a straight MENU icon with a very few shortcut icons on the "TaskBar" or panel, whatever you want to call the damn thing....

I just set up a Dell laptop on Mint 18.3 Cinnamon and it is totally devoid of anything on the desktop except for a background of my sister's choice. it looks and works just like the Windows 10 machine that she is using, but of course, much faster, and cleaner.

from the vibes I am getting back, she is gradually getting used to the Linux menu structure and is loving how blazingly fast it is for her news pages and blogs that she reads.... she is a horse person, rancher, and doesn’t delve into much else.

I'm thinking that in a year, she just might go all Linux.... :D
LM21.3 Cinnamon ASUS FX705GM | Donate to Mint https://www.patreon.com/linux_mint
Image
JosephM
Level 6
Level 6
Posts: 1458
Joined: Sun May 26, 2013 6:25 pm

Re: Why oh Why can't we make Linux better looking

Post by JosephM »

linux-dummie wrote: Sat Jul 14, 2018 12:24 pm Regarding the title of this thread, I'm glad my wife didn't say that about me!! For 18 years I've worked for her like a solid Linux distro, and she's never distro-hopped, so looks aren't everything if all you need is a reliable workhorse. I just wish I could run some kernel updates on myself (without surgery). And I sure could use some more memory....
I couldn't let this one pass without a comment. Classic!
When I give opinions, they are my own. Not necessarily those of any other Linux Mint developer or the Linux Mint project as a whole.
Locked

Return to “Chat about Linux”